Redemption of an Unconventional Sort
by whimsical shadow
Summary: "Hold the phone! So you're saying he's NOT the bad guy." Tony asked pointing at the wide-eyed demigod sitting on his couch, an incredulous look on his face. Barton shrugged sheepishly and nodded. "Well, isn't this a mess." Loki smiled if there's one thing he loved about Midgard, it was their natural inclination to fall into chaos.
1. Trials, Aliens and what not

A/N: Why hello! So this is my first time attempting a fanfic, hope you like it. If you do or don't like it let me know. The feedback would be very appreciated.

* * *

"Before we begin, do you have anything to say for yourself?" asked the Allfather critically.

Everyone turned to look at the chained figure standing front and center in the throne room. The man in question stared up at the Allfather intently, but gave no indication that he intended to speak. Odin arched a brow and a flicker of emotion crossed his features. It was so swift that no one caught it. No one but the prisoner and Thor, who stood a little off to the side. It was a mixture of disappointment and something else… sadness or maybe anger perhaps? Neither the golden son nor the prisoner could tell for his features quickly returned to a bleak, stoic expression.

"Very well. Let the trial begin!" said Odin with an authoritative slam of his staff on the dais floor. Everyone turned their attention to him, all except the prisoner, who ran his eyes over those who were there. The man's gaze lingered on Frigga. It was obvious that she had been crying earlier but was under control for the most part, her jaw set and a determined look on her face. Only the slightest quiver of her bottom lip gave away the distraught she felt. Her eyes met his and her stoney expression melted away into a softer mournful one, an expression that the prisoner could not bare to look at. He quickly averted his gaze to the floor.

"…Do recognize that these are the charges against you Loki, God of Chaos?" asked Odin bringing Loki's attention back to the trial. The younger man gave his not-father a curt nod. "Then we will present the accounts of Lady Sif, Grim, Fandrall, and Volstagg, who were present during your reign as king." The four demigods stepped forward and Sif was the first to offer her account of Loki's reign of terror.

_Funny that I used to think these imbeciles my friends. I suppose that makes me the greater fool here_, Loki thought, not-so-bitterly. In fact he was resigned to the reality that he did not belong. There were some points within Sif's testimony where he wanted to speak out against her, but restrained himself. He understood with disillusioned clarity that no one would believe him. That was the way he needed it to be.

After Grim's account he discontinued listening and scanned the occupants of the throne room once more. There weren't a lot of people there. Odin had wanted to keep Loki's trail a private affair. Why for, the green-eyed god couldn't say, and didn't really want to theorize possibilities over the matter. In attendance were the main gods and goddesses that made up the Allfather's council, except for Heimdall. His absence was not missed by Odin or the other gods. From what Loki could gather, the gatekeeper -if one could call him that anymore since the Bifrost was broken- had requested to not speak at his trail. Of course with the evidence against him being so overwhelming, he supposed Odin thought it couldn't hurt for him to be absent.

That was good. The lack of Heimdall's presence relieved him a great deal. For the all-seeing god knew the true nature of how things were and those facts could not come into light right then. It would cause a great deal of inconvenience.

"Now the testimony of Thor will be presented." Odin's voice snapped Loki out of his internal musings. He risked a glance at the man he once called 'brother'. To anyone one who didn't know the god of thunder, they would have said he looked nervous. For those who did know Thor, knew that great pain would be inflicted upon who ever dared to point that out. Loki almost wanted to grin. What was it his brother had said to him just before his almost coronation?

_That was not nerves brother, that was the rage of battle._

Thor opened his mouth as if to speak but no sound came out. It was rather anticlimactic in Loki's opinion, but then again his opinion never counted for much. The blue eyed god looked over at him. He raised a brow in response as if daring the golden son of Odin. What the trickster was daring him to do exactly was unclear to the both of them.

"Loki…is my brother and always will be," said Thor after a long baited silence. Loki was tempted to roll his eyes. Sentiment it was always sentiment his not brother. "Having said that, I cannot deny that it was he who I fought on the Bifrost and who I faced again on Midgard." The demigod's voice conveyed a sense of resigned finality.

_And that's it, isn't it, brother? So much for sentiment._ Loki tried to ignore the unpleasant way his heart twisted. No matter how much he willed for it; no amount of time or distance could undo his deeply rooted desire to be _loved_. To have what his brother so blatantly took for granted all of his life. Thor had no idea how much it hurt when their -Thor's- friends came to him and ask for the release of his exile. Even though Thor was wrong. And it hurt then as it does now because the not-Asgardian knew if it was him no one would be so loyal. He let out a barely noticeable sigh, that's what he got for being a trickster he supposed.

The green-eyed god was suddenly aware everyone was looking at him and the mood of the throne room had the air of expectancy. They were giving him another opportunity to speak. He almost broke out into a fit of laughter. Loki knew, just as everyone else in to room did, that anything he said would either be the confession they wanted or a finely spun tale to try and get himself out of prison. They wanted him to admit he was the horrible monster they deemed him to be, and how he _ached_ to prove them wrong. He never liked it when people thought they knew more about him than him.

Just as he was seriously considering revealing the truth, a flicker of movement caught his eye. It was nothing conspicuous, a slight shift from one of the guards standing along the wall. Anyone else would have thought nothing of it but from his peripherals Loki caught the blue marking on the guards neck. A dart of fear and anticipation pierced his chest and began to plague his whole person. _So they're still watching. _He looked to his brother, fear melted into burning resolution.

Loki said nothing.

No, not a single word was uttered from his mouth and the longer the audience waited, the more uncomfortable his silence became. In all of his years as king of Asgard, Odin could honestly say that this was a new experience. Many people had come into this chamber to be tried of whatever grievous sin they committed. Some begged and pleaded, some taunted him with the success of their crime, others cursed he and his whole house, and there were a rare few that were found to be innocent. But they all had something to say and they said it until they no longer had the energy to speak. Never has the Allfather met an accused who stayed silent. It made him wonder, not for the first time since Loki fell through the wormhole, if all he heard during his Odin sleep was reality, or if some crafty magic deluded his memories.

"Since your demeanor has made it clear that you do not intend to defend yourself. The trial has come to an end and I have made my decision as to how you will be punished," said the Allfather, as he slowly descended from the dais towards his adopted son. "Loki you are here by condemned to live in a solitary cell in Muspelheim, where you will be at the mercy of the Fire Giants. For trying to wipe out the Jotun race, and for your attempt to subjugate Midgard. For the lives that you have taken and for the great many more lives you have caused unparalleled despair." _This isn't right_, Odin's instinct told him. Leaving him with an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. No matter how he felt, laws were laws and so he pushed forward. "But because the Bifrost is broken, Heimdall will have to use the tesseract as a way of transporting you there. Until this can be arranged you will be bound and placed in a holding cell here in Asgard. That is my judgment."

Odin slammed his long staff against the floor standing directly in front of Loki. They held each others gaze. One searching for any kind of clue as to the the other's motives; the other with a look of hollow resignation. The elder man wished to reach out to his misguided son, but could not bring himself to do so. Hubris had always been his plague, a plague he clearly saw was passed down to his son.

A company of eight or so guards surrounded him, but Loki only cared about one of them; the man with the mark on his neck. He flanked the condemned god on the left and marched in sync with the other guards. Loki knew there wasn't much time before they reached the dungeons. The want to act out now was never more tempting the closer they approached the platform that would teleport them all to his prison. But Loki wasn't Thor and refrained from acting on impulse, instead he took a deep breath to organize his thoughts and started to plan.

_I wont reach Muspelheim if I'm at the mercy of this fiend, Father_. Loki silently cursed, his bindings inhibited both movement and his magic. They had come to the holding cell and he had no plan. He entered the cell with a sickening sense of dread at the pit of his stomach. It was a fairly spacious cell, the walls were crudely carved out and jagged. The demigod just knew the pseudo guard would have a pleasant time throwing him against them. There were no windows and only one entrance, which the guards had shut. A small orb was the only light, leaving Loki alone in the shadows.

The blow connected with his ribs with a sickening crack. He wished to cry out in pain but the spell placed on him kept him from making a sound. Before he could steady himself there was a three-fingered hand wrapped around his neck. He tried valiantly to pry the hand from his neck but to no avail. The assailant's poisoned covered skin was taking its toll. The trickster's vision was going black and he could feel life beginning to slip away from him.

"This is what becomes of those who fail the Chitauri," it hissed, holding Loki up so that his feet were no longer touching the ground. The latter was sure those would be the last words he would ever hear and slipped away into nothingness. The alien let out a hiss that could have been a laugh. Unfortunately his mirth was short lived as he found his head cut off.


	2. Early morning meetings and such

A/N: Why hello! Thank you for reading. There are some things that need to be cleared up. As pointed out by a reviewer-Ty-Loki is indeed the god of tricks and lies. He is not the god of chaos, which I spelled incorrectly too, he is however the father of the three beings of chaos and my dysfunctional brain mashed the god part and the father of chaos being part. Hence the title change. I promise I do know my norse gods. So if Ty is reading thank you for pointing out that mistake.

To Platina: I don't write slash fiction so this story wont go in that direction. I'm sorry to disappoint, hope you'll still read though! However maybe if you squint really hard you may be able to infer such things. Maybe.

To me (the guest not myself): You'll just have to see. :).

* * *

If there was one thing Loki hated most in the universe, it was a near death experiences. They hardly came for the immortal but the rare few times they had were unpleasant. Like getting turned into a demigod pretzel by the hulk unpleasant. Thor usually laughed when he talked about his utter distaste for such experiences, but then again Thor _always_ laughed at him. What peeved him the most about almost dying was just as he was resigned to his fate and even excited to see his daughter again after so many centuries of estrangement; life would come and wake him. It wasn't a gentle wakening either, more like having a thousand small puncture wounds and then being immersed in acid. So when the trickster opened his eyes and realized he was alive, he wasn't exactly jumping for joy. His throat hurt terribly and every muscle throbbed.

"Try not to move. The poison has not yet eradicated itself from your system." A deep familiar voice told him. Loki tried to grasp at what the man had said but he was still disoriented. After a few long moments with his labored breathing as background noise, past events started to flood his mind. False guard. Dark cell. Choking. The demigod jolted upright, pain however protested and darkness tugged at him. He steeled himself, though, not giving in to unconsciousness. Strong hands gripped his shoulders steadying him.

"I told you not to move." Loki relaxed as much as was possible when he met the eyes of Asgard's gatekeeper.

"Heimdall."

"Loki."

"…where are we? How did I get here? The Chitauri are they following… Thor! An-and fath- Odin, do they- are they aware…" An authoritative hand went up silencing the younger god. Heimdall stood. The gatekeeper broke eye-contact looking around them, Loki followed suit. They were on a mass of rock amongst a sea of different pieces of jagged rock, which probably made up the surface of a planet when pulled together.

"I have never seen you so flustered son of Odin and there aren't many things I haven't seen." The god looked down, his brow raised in question. His companion remained silent. "We are currently in the Jotunheim's planetary debris from when the bifrost wreaked havoc on it." Loki swallowed thickly. "You are here because this is where I brought you. The impostor guard has been taken care of and there is no one is following. No one is aware of what has happened."

"I am not a son of Odin." The trickster corrected. A flicker of amusement passed over the gatekeepers face but quickly returned to his stoic demeanor. "Why are you helping me?"

"For the same reason I did not speak at your trial. Why are you insistent that no one knows the truth?"

"I have no way to prove it and they wouldn't believe me solely on my word."

"They would have more than just your word."

Loki choked out a bitter laugh. "They would accuse me of manipulating you. Odin and his house can be very resilient, you know that."

Heimdall arched a brow. "I do. But no intelligent being could ever believe you manipulated me."

"Oh? Why's that?" He asked raising a brow of his own.

"My dislike for you is not what one would call subtle." Despite himself, the demigod smiled. "You need to hide, and I know of a place where the Chitauri would not think to look for you." That wasn't possible, no matter where he went they would always find him. However the smallest part of him hoped.

"Alright Heimdall. Where am I off to?"

"Midgard. Before you protest, think about it. The Chitauri think you are a vain god, and no vain god would ever return to the place of their latest failure. If you are worried that people will remember you, simply disguise yourself. The humans will not notice if you live life quietly." Loki touched the tips of his fingers together, brow pinched, thinking it over.

Finally he let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, I suppose your right." Then he noticed his still bound wrists, and remembered. "You said the poison wasn't gone from my system, should I be worried? And my bindings surely I can't go to Midgard in chains."

"The poison should leave your system within a few days maybe a week, there is a large amount in your system. As for your chains." Heimdall raised his sword and cut them loose. Leaving the shackles still on the younger god's wrists with his magic still bound. "It is best that you keep your magic suppressed, they might try to track it. Keep a shackle on at all times. Unless a dire need arises for you to use magic. Here is the key." The gatekeeper handed him a small block like key on a chain. He tucked it away in his pocket.

The orange eyed god took out the tesseract from the fold of his robes and began to pulse his magic into the orb. A portal formed above them. Loki could feel it tugging him upward while his companion remained firmly standing the piece of land they were on.

"I suppose this is farewell Loki. You never know, you may find redemption on Midgard like Thor before you."

"I'd rather not follow in Thor's footsteps, Heimdall. Farewell…and, um, thank you." With that Loki was taken up in the portal with a flash.

* * *

Over the years of being a hero, Tony had gotten used somewhat used to the unexpected turns of life. There were somethings however that still surprised the crap out of him. However these last few months in Manhattan had gone along quietly, in a crime-fighting sense. The big apple had undergone rigorous reconstruction after the alien invasion. There were only a few places left now that had any indication of that battle. All the while he had gotten used to his routine, which consisted of working, science with Bruce, spending time with Pepper, and lunch with the guys when they could all make it. The only unexpected event that happened recently was the early morning arrival of Steve and Clint.

"Couldn't you guys have picked a more decent hour to come over?" Tony asked gruffly, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Our deepest apologies tin man. I should've asked our enemies if they were willing to start shooting at us at more decent hour. Maybe then they would've stopped attacking us in the middle of the night." Clint shot back, consuming a mouthful of pancakes.

"Shut up Legolas or I'll take away your pancakes." The dark haired man threatened.

"Enough boys. Besides if we hadn't come by while we were in the neighborhood please tell me you wouldn't have been melodramatically hurt about it." Steve cut in, a small smile touched his lips. The scientist responded with silence, because, in all honesty he didn't mind them dropping by despite the early hour.

"Alright cap, you've got a point. Although I resent that melodramatic comment. In other news, have you thought about my offer to come live-" A sudden flash and a deafening crack cut him off. The archer and captain immediately ducked behind the table and Tony filched back near the counter, although conscious not to spill his coffee. There was a loud thud, something heavy fell on the floor of the lounge.

Heart racing, the billionaire was the first to uncurl from his hunched position. He began to take slow tentative steps towards the lounge with his fellow heros following behind. There was a figure laying there, spread eagle, seemly unconscious. His-because Tony had quickly deduced he was a man- thick black mass of hair covered most of his face. Just as they made it to the back of the couch a few feet from him, he began to stir. The man let out a pained groan and began to sit up, a hand brushing back his long mane. The billionaire's mouth went agape and his companions tensed behind him.

"Loki." They all said in shocked unison. The green eyed god looked up at them an expression of confusion over coming his features. _Heimdall what did you do!?_ He wondered, panicked.

"While I glad you all remembered my name, I have to say it's kind of creepy that you all said it at the same time. Did you practice?" His effected tone was light, nonchalant as opposed to his growing concern and confusion.

"Yah. We were practicing all morning."

"Tony, I don't think this is the time for sarcasm." Steve said stepping forward, positioning himself in front of him. The action was not lost on the scientist and he couldn't help but feel grateful. He had been on edge ever since that battle with aliens and while he never expressed it he had a feeling the soldier knew.

"Right. Sorry cap, nervous habit." Came the sheepish response. Steve nodded ever so slightly to him.

"What are you doing here Loki?"

"I was wondering the same thing myself."

"Cut the crap antler boy. I don't know if you remember but we're friends of you brother." Loki flinched, everyone was Thor's friend but why did that automatically and inadvertently mean they were his enemy? "And we would be happy to call him down and have him haul your sorry self back to Asgard."

"Thor cannot-"

"Guys! Is everyone alright, I heard this loud…" Bruce walked in hurried steps but stopped when he laid eyes on the demigod. "Loki?"

The man in question let out an exasperated sigh. "Good, now that we've established who I am, can we move on?"

"Sure thing pal. Bruce sick him." A flash of panic crossed his features and he slowly began to inch back. Bruce took a step toward him fists clenched, eyes turing green. He was too weak to get up and even if he could, he'd be too weak to fight the hulk.

"Wait." Clint spoke for the first time. He had remained silent through the exchange staring intently at the trickster trying to sort out what exactly the threat was. _If Loki's back does that mean…_ He didn't have it in him to finish that thought, so he left the implication hanging in his mind. The archer walked past Bruce, who shot him a questioning look, and knelt in front of Loki. "What happened to your neck?" The question drew the attention of the other three to his heavily bruised neck.

Before the trickster could answer Tony spoke, "What does it matter Clint? He's the bad guy, and why are you being so friendly about this? He _brainwashed_ you remember? Forced you to fight your own.e"

"Look Tony, this is more complicated than you make it out to be. Do you trust me?" The question hung in the air as he looked to his three friends. They slowly nodded in the affirmative. "Then believe me when I tell you Loki isn't the super villain everyone thinks, and I wasn't as brainwashed as it seemed."

"Um, I'm confused. If you weren't being mind controlled by him, does that mean you willingly killed those S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on the helicarrier?" Bruce asked. Clint shot him a look that could shattered Steve's shield.

"Every person that survived on the helicarrier was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Every person we killed an impostor. A complexity of going up against shapeshifting aliens." Was the gruff reply.

"What about Phil? He killed Agent Coulson!"

"No I didn't."

"Like hell you didn't. Thor saw you stab him through the chest."

"That's because I did."

"Well I don't know how it is in Asgard but humans usually die after being stabbed in the chest."

"I am aware of the limits of the human body."

"Then you killed Phil!"

"Tony I think you need to calm-"

"No Steave, just no. I refuse to take this idiot's shi-"

"I healed Coulson right after. A slight of hand. His injuries were surface wounds at best."

"But Fury said-"

"Fury has lied to you before has he not?"

There was a breath of a pause.

"Then where the hell is Agent Coulson?"

"That, I do not know. I do know that the only way your Coulson could have died is if he lost the will to live, which from our brief encounter I doubt that is the case."

"But-"

"Tony enough. And Loki I'm about up to here with your sass. I think the reindeer here would be a bit more comfortable not on the floor." Clint said turning his attention back to Loki and then said in a lowered voice, "There are questions that need to be answered Loki. Also if you don't want Bruce here to turn you into his personal piñata stick then I suggest you give tell them what's up. Can you stand?"

"No."

"Why the hell not?"

"The poison in my system has weakened me considerably."

Clint's brow pinched with concern. "Poison? Shapeshifting aliens? Coulson's apparently not dead and Loki's not the bad guy. What is going on?" The out burst came from Tony. He was ignored. The archer slinked alarm around Loki, who tensed at the contact, and helped him stand. Slowly they walked over to the couch and the demigod dropped heavily onto the soft cushion.

"Well, kids, it looks like Loki's got a story to tell us." Steve said after a while, sitting on an adjacent couch.

"I suppose if I must." Loki responded wearily. Tony sat on the other end of the couch the captain sat on, with Bruce in between.

"Yes you must. It better be a good story too, boring stories put me to sleep." Tony said.

"Of course Stark. I wouldn't want to bore you."

"I like romances." The comment came from Bruce and everyone turned to stare at him. He shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm just saying."

"Good to know…" Clint responded slowly trying, to process the information just presented. "You really don't seem like a romance kind of guy." The old soldier cleared his throat, grabbing everyone's attention and then gave Loki a pointed look.

"Ah, yes where should I begin?"

"How about at the beginning?"

"Alright. I was born in the cold, desolate realm of Jotunheim-"

"No. Fast forward a bit."

"When Thor and I were about a century old we went on one of our first adventures, which consisted of Thor dressing up like a princess and I disguised myself as a horse."

"Loki! Get to when you invaded Earth… However I would like to hear about Thor dressing up like a princess later."

"Alright, alright. I was captured by the Chitauri shortly after I fell through the wormhole…"


	3. Tales from the bed and all that

A/N: Sorry about the late update. I have been exploring the wonderful world of BBC Sherlock fanfiction. For those of you who are fans of the show I'm sure you understand. Anyways here it is. My apologies for any spelling/grammar mistakes, I find myself too lazy to proofread. I also cringe when I read my own writing. Okay enough rambling enjoy, tell me what you think. 

* * *

_There was something about falling through a wormhole. It was almost peaceful. Like those camping trips he and Thor would go on when they were boys. Loki closed his eyes relishing the feeling of weightlessness. He was becoming more and more comfortable with the idea of oblivion. Unfortunately, life never liked it when he was comfortable. A hand tugged roughly on his arm, diverting him from the gravitational pull of the wormhole and through a different portal._

"Wait, why were you falling in the first place?" The super soldier asked, interrupting.

"Aw, c'mon Steve I was just getting into this story." Tony whined, Bruce nodded with agreement.

"Did Thor not tell you about my reign in Asgard?" They looked at him blankly, apparently the god of thunder hadn't. "Well that's a different story, a prelude to the events that involve you, but we'll get to it later. Now where was I?"

"You went through a different portal instead of dissipating into oblivion." Clint supplied.

"Right." Loki winced clutching his chest. A wave of pain consumed him suddenly. The archer turned to the demigod placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You alright there?" The concern in his voice was evident, it made the trickster's stomach twist. He wasn't used to people caring.

"It's just the poison, Barton, nothing to fret about."

"Actually, that is something to fret about." It was Bruce, who leaned forward in his seat, frowning. The dark haired man was worried as well. "Is there anyway to eradicate the poison? It'd be unfortunate if you died before we could here the end of this story."

"There is nothing that can eradicate this poison, if there was I would partake of it happily. Rest assured I wont die from it, if I was I would will myself to stay alive to finish this tale just for you, Banner." He bit out the last part sarcastically. They all still looked unsure. He sighed irritably, running a hand through his hair. The demigod didn't know why but he felt as if he needed to ebb their worry and added quickly, "It should be gone from my body within a few days, if that's any consolation."

"It isn't really. Would it be better if you were laying down?" Steve asked.

"There's nothing that would make poison flowing through my blood stream better, Rodgers." He deadpanned.

"No, I mean would you be more comfortable?"

"I suppose…" _What does it matter if I'm comfortable?_

"Good enough for me." The blond stood and walked over to him in two easy strides. Crouching down next to the wondering trickster, he picked him up easily.

"What are you doing!? Put me down."

"You told Clint earlier you weren't strong enough to stand. So I figured you wouldn't be able to walk to one of the guest rooms. Tony if you could lead the way." The ins and outs of Stark Tower still confused the super soldier. Tony nodded getting up from his seat heading towards the elevator, Steve followed with Loki in tow. Clint and Bruce looked at one another and shrugged following their friends.

"I hate being manhandled." Loki muttered under his breath.

"Sorry reindeer games, you shouldn't have gotten yourself poisoned if you didn't want this to happen." Tony retorted.

"How in the nine realms was I suppose to anticipate all of this happening?"

"No idea." They all shuffled into the elevator and went down a floor. Tony led them down a hallway to a door on the left. It slid open easily, revealing a spacious bedroom. The whole north was was made up of tinted windows that over looked Manhattan. There was a bed on the east wall, and a door to the bathroom next to it. "Well here we are. Is it to your satisfaction, your godliness?"

The super soldier set Loki down on the bed. "It's fantastic." His voice dripped with sarcasm. He sat at the center bed, legs crossed, back straight. Bruce came over and sat at the foot of the bed mimicking the demgod's position. The archer followed, however he took a more casual position by laying on his side. Steve sat on the edge one leg still on the carpeted floor and the other making a triangle with his foot underneath the other leg. Tony laid down, stretched across the bed parallel to the pillows behind Loki.

"What are you all doing?" The trickster asked eye brows raised.

"While I was hoping you might lay down. It looks like you wont be doing so. We might as well stay here, in case you pass out or something." The super soldier responded.

"If you do decide to lay down you'd have Tony's stomach as a pillow." Bruce added.

"Yeah, please don't. And since you seem to be comfortable, we might as well follow suit. We still need to hear your story remember?" The engineer said.

"Of course. Shall I get right to it then? I was pulled into a different portal…

_On the other side were the Chitauri, about seven of them stood around him circling him in. He thought about attacking but even for a god he was greatly out numbered. They studied him carefully for a few moments. Normally he would have attempted to talk his way out of this, but he was not quite feeling himself at the moment. They started to hiss to one another, much to his discomfort, as if discussing his presence amongst them. He didn't comprehend any of it though, not being able to speak their language. _

_ The Chitauri must have found him acceptable for one of them turned to him and spoke, "Son of Odin, we have been keeping a very close eye on you." _

_ "I'm very flattered." He lied, trying to stay the shiver threatening to crawl up his spine. There was something about that slimy, hissing voice that both repulsed and scared him. _

_ "We are in need of your assistance." _Of course you do, _he thought mentally rolling his eyes. Then the full weight of the aliens earlier greeting hit him. _

_ "When you said you kept a close eye on me, what exactly did you mean?" The surrounding beings let out short hissing noises that closely resembled laughter. It was all the confirmation he needed. "You sent the men with those blue markings." The accusation was met with another round of laughter. _

_ "Silly boy, we are the men with blue markings."_

_ "How-"_

_ "We are an old race of shape-shifters."_

_ "You framed me."_

_ "We showed you what you could be; all the havoc you could wreak." _

_ "I had no desire to wreak that much havoc! You took a harmless prank and snowballed it into a-" A painful cry left his lips as one of the Chitauri from behind placed a hand on his face. Causing every muscle in him to wrench painfully. He fell to his knees, looking up as the alien who was speaking stood before him._

_ "Do not take such an insolent tone with us, boy. Or the pain will be the least of your problems. As I was saying, we require your assistance." The alien paused, expecting the demigod to cry out in protest. He didn't earring him a nod of approval. The latter continued, "What do you know of the tesseract?"_

_ The trickster had not the slightest desire to answer. Yet his gut told him it would be best if he did. "It's the oldest source of pure energy in the universe."_

_ "Do you know where it is?"_

_ "No. It's location has eluded Asgard for years." He lied. He knew exactly where Odin hid the tesseract and so did the Chitauri._

_ "You lie. We have found it on Earth."_

_ "How pleasant."_

_ "You will retrieve it for us." The alien ordered. Loki was not fond of being ordered._

_ "You know for an ancient race of people you are none the wiser. You can't just order _me _to do your work, as I'd be, and I am, partial to decline."_

_ "What do you wish for in return? We will deliver." _

_ "I'd really like to not go to Midgard and retrieve the tesseract."_

_ "That is not an option."_

_ "Then I suppose we are at an impasse."_

_ "Not quite. We have a way with persuading our guests."_

"…well needless to say they managed to convince me to come here for the tesseract."

"How?" Bruce queried.

"It's not important." The trickster replied, his tone hinting that the subject was to be dropped. Yet their expressions of worry got to him. "Lets just say they have a number of poisons that do a number of things. It wasn't until they started making conceivable threats that my resolve to resist started to crumble. I led them to believe their brainwashing had worked and that I wished to rule your realm. Technically, there was no need for an army to do their bidding, but I had devised a plan that required making enough ruckus to get your precious S.H.I.E.L.D. to notice, enough to get Thor to notice. I had been sending doubles of myself with manipulated appearances to gather information. I learned of the Avengers Initiative, all I had to do was get Nick Fury execute it. When I came to Midgard, in the S.H.I.E.L.D. lab, my only targets to put under mind control were Barton and Selvig. The people I killed or brain washed were mirror images of myself. But mind control, for those of you who don't know, which is granted all of you, is very difficult to sustain without corrupting the victim in question. When Barton and Selvig came to, rest assured your archer here gave me hell."

"Came close to skewering his eye out too."

"Right, sure. Anyways, I was spared my eye when I quickly told them my purpose. If I could get Thor to come down here, and for you all to beat me, then the tesseract would be out of the Chitauri's reach. And I, the only one among them that knows how to use it, would be out of their way as well. Their plans to annihilate your planet among others would be completely foiled. Getting everyone to believe that I was a horrifying threat and having Selvig install a way to penetrate the shield around the tesseract and disable the portal were easy enough. The hardest part of it all was figuring out how to isolate the Hulk long enough to establish a mind link. Luckily Barton came up with a solid idea."

"A mind link?"

"Yes, Stark. It's usually used between fellow sorcerers and magic enthusiasts. It links one conscience to another allowing one or both parties to maintain control of themselves when performing a particularly difficult spell. Think of it as one person spotting the other magically. In this case I linked Bruce to my conscience so he could control the Hulk. Did you not think it odd that he was conveniently able to control the beast throughout the whole battle?"

"I just kind of figured…"

"What? That your faith in him alone would be enough fuel for Banner's willpower to control the Hulk? A touching sentiment, Stark- if not a little narcissistic, but completely stupid." The engineer looked a little crestfallen. The scientist was silent through the whole explanation, thinking it all through.

"But I couldn't feel your conscience." He said at last.

"It's not that you couldn't, it's just that you weren't looking for it and therefore the presence of a foreign conscience wasn't there. I suppose it helped that I set up the mind link while you were still the Hulk."

"Does that mean I can't control the other guy without you?"

"No. I severed the mind link just before you threw me around like a ball."

"Why? And sorry about that."

"Not a problem. My magic was running thin."

"So why are you back? Earth's not in danger is it?" Clint asked.

"No. When I went back to Asgard with Thor, I was followed by one of the Chitauri that posed as one of my guards. It almost killed me, fortunately, Heimdall killed the alien before it could kill me. He sent me here to Midgard as this would be the last place they would look for me. I'm here until everything blows over I guess, or until I find away to destroy them. Whichever comes first I suppose. Though why I'm _here _in Stark Tower is beyond me."

"Let me get this straight, you're here to hide. Fit in with the humans until you can find some way to get the Chitauri off your tail?" Steve clarified.

"That's the plan."

"You need a hair cut." Steve cut in abruptly.

"Excuse me?" The demigod looked over at him in surprise.

"He'll also need some new clothes. Can't go around Manhattan in a tunic and leather pants." The super soldier added.

"There's also the matter of where he's going to stay. Stark Tower is a way too conspicuous place to live for someone who's trying to stay under the radar." The scientist chimed in.

"Not a problem. I have an apartment or two to spare." The billionaire said offhandedly.

"It'll have to be near by, so we can keep an eye on him. Just to make sure we're all on the same page, S.H.I.E.L.D. knows nothing about this." Clint said looking at them. They all nodded in agreement, except for the trickster who was still trying to process their rapid fire conversation. Then after a moment added, "We should probably get him a job."

"I think I need to lay down now." The green eyed god said beginning to feel dizzy. Everyone looked at him, murmuring their agreement while getting up.

"We'll figure out the details in the morning, after you're rested." Steve assured just before they all shuffled out the door. Once gone the demigod laid back heavily, and fell into a deep dreamless sleep immediately.

The four men found themselves back in the lounge, suddenly exhausted. Tony checked the clock it was only nine in the morning, causing him to let out an almost inhuman groan. Bruce looked over at him, haven't had breakfast yet the man was making himself toast. Clint gathered his gear, slinging his pack over his shoulder.

"Well guys, I've got to go report to Fury. I'll be back later tonight though. Coming Steve?" The archer asked turing to the blond man.

"No, I'll stay here. Fury doesn't need a report from the both of us." The super soldier said, making himself comfortable on the couch. The brunet nodded and walked over to the elevator.

"Hold the elevator. I'm heading down to the lab, might as well make it one trip." Bruce said, scurrying over to Clint. He threw one last farewell over to the other two before the elevator doors closed. All was quiet in the lounge until the dark haired engineer piped up.

"Steve?"

"Tony."

"Do you really think Coulson's alive?"

"I think Loki's telling the truth, if only because I trust Clint, so yeah it's possible. But we wont know for sure until we start looking."

"Right. Jarvis?"

"Sir?" The computer program responded.

"I want you to hack S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database, find me anything and everything you can about Phil Coulson."

"On it, sir."


	4. Interviews, Reunions and that jazz

A/N: Again I apologize for the late update. Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing, it's nice to know that there are people who find my writing bearable. I hope you enjoy this one! Please review :) for me.

* * *

Loki shifted uncomfortably, adjusting his tie for the umpteenth time that morning. He decided that while he quite liked button down shirts and slacks, he wasn't very fond of ties and suit coats. Both articles of clothing were restrictive in his opinion, but Tony and Steve had insisted that they were necessary for this particular occasion. Running a hand through his now short hair, he pondered over the whirlwind of the past two weeks. The first week consisted of him resting until the poison eventually subsided. Tony and Bruce also felt it necessary that while he was recuperating to introduce him to a variety of movies that they deemed classics. Although he was reluctant to admit it, he found himself enjoying them. The demigod also joined Steve in indulging in the cuisine that the super soldier was unfamiliar with after being asleep for 70 odd years. He quite matched the formers appetite and they shared a love for curly fries.

Their company was nice, to his surprise, and that left an anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't suppose to have friends, allies maybe, but friends were Thor's department.

Without thinking about it he began to run the palms of his hands from his knee to mid thigh. He was impatient to get this over with he realized. Clasping his hands together, the demigod kept his fingers interlaced to keep them still turning his thoughts to what still had to be done that day. He had to get this job interview over with and from there Tony was going to pick him up and show him to his new living quarters. Loki sighed loudly and ran his hand through his hair again.

"Would you relax. All of your fidgeting is making me nervous." The dark haired trickster almost jumped, he had nearly forgotten Barton was sitting next to him.

"Can you blame me? This will never work, they will recognize me and then I'll probably be taken away, back to Asgard maybe." Loki said, his voice low, guarded. He was paranoid someone might be listening.

"They're not gonna recognize you. Hell, if I were Fury I wouldn't give your appearance a second thought you look that different." Barton said with an easy shrug. Loki shook his head, if anyone would have told him he would be applying for a position at S.H.E.I.L.D. he would have asked them what S.H.E.I.L.D. was.

"It is not Fury I worry about recognizing me, it's your girlfriend, the spider."

Clint sat up, looking at Loki with a confused expression, then said, "'Tasha? She's nothing to worry about. Plus she's not my girlfriend."

"Barton, please, I have been alive far longer than your puny world has been spinning on its axis, I know when two people are in a relationship with romantic undertones. Even if they don't. Also, yes she is something to worry about. If Romanoff perchance recognizes me then the whole facade is ruined. It's not like I can subdue her under mind control, it only works on the weak minded. But that doesn't even matter because my magic is bound." The trickster bit out, still keeping his voice ridiculously low.

"What do you mean weak minded!? The mind control worked on me." The archer half shouted in indignation, causing his counterpart to cringe.

"Would you keep your voice down! You have no idea as to whether or not they're listening to every word we're saying. And it only worked on you for about two hours, so your mind is only moderately weak."

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better. Thank you, your godliness." Clint said sarcastically, adding, "Relax, Tony put a device on me that jams the video and audio feed near us, just in case." Loki relaxed slightly, grateful that at least one of them was thinking ahead.

"Who would have thought the impulsive metal man had some foresight?" The demigod murmured to himself.

"Luke Sharp." Both Loki and Clint looked up on hearing the former's alias. The woman standing at the door of the conference room who called him smiled at the both of them. The archer stood, his companion folioing suit "Hey Clint."

"Long time no see, El. How was Japan?" They shook hands, an air of amicability and familiarity between them. Clint gestured to Loki and said, "This is Luke, found him myself."

"Just swell, thanks. I kind of wish they would stop sending me to Asia, you know? I mean just because my mom's Chinese, doesn't mean I have a particular to get back to my ancestral roots. Next thing you know they'll be sending me to Germany in honor of my dad." The girl rambled candidly. Then turned to give an appraising glance at Loki. "Well you do have a knack at finding recruits don't you, Hawkeye? It's nice to meet you, I'm Eloise Polk but everyone calls me El for short." She extended a hand to him, he took it with a breath of hesitation. If he was going to live on Earth normally, he was going to have to get over the whole 'don't-touch-me-or-I'll-kill-you' attitude.

"A pleasure to meet you Miss Polk." He replied. Confusion flitted across her features but then went back to the smile.

"If you'll come with me, Mr. Sharp, the interview will be in the conference room." Loki nodded following her, he casted one last glance behind at Clint who gave him an encouraging thumbs up.

In the conference room the green eyed god observed his interviewer. She was short, well compared to him and the women of Asgard, the top of her head an inch or two below his collar bone. Jet black hair that formed in loose, messy curls, that was tied into a sloppy side pony tail. The agent had brown eyes and an olive complexion, telling of an ethnic background. Her face, while not singular in beauty, was passable, and although she was fit and petit, she was shapeless figure wise.

What impressed the trickster the most though was how young and, even, girlish she appeared. Unlike many of the S.H.E.I.L.D. agents he had passed, who were rigid never moving more than was necessary, she seemed completely relaxed. Almost like the archer but even he held a certain sharpness about himself. That only made her more dangerous in his mind.

"How old are you?" He blurted out as she sat across from him, reading over the file in front of her.

El looked up and gave him an amused smile and responded, "22 and yourself?"

_I'm far older than you could imagine._ "I'm 30." He lied easily. "Your fairly young to be a S.H.E.I.L.D. agent. I guessed that the average age of the employees here were mid to late thirties with the occasional outlier being at the very most in their late twenties to early thirties, and in the opposite direction late fifties to early sixties."

"Impressive." She complimented, an eye brow raised and a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "And your pretty much right, if I weren't around Tasha would be the youngest at 28."

"Ah, so they don't usually recruit people as young as you?"

"No," the brown eyed mortal replied with a shake of her head, "I was a…special case. Anyways, enough of that, lets get on with the interview. Just so you know this is a preliminary interview and if you pass this round you'll be sent to the real interview with Fury." Loki nearly let out a sigh, he was hoping to be in the clear for having to face the director.

"Also I decide you aren't qualified to move on there's a button under this table that I'll press which will send you down a chute and straight into our furnace." The demigod blinked, that seemed a bit harsh. "Ha! Just kidding, if you don't get the job I'll let you down nicely." He smirked, it seemed this one had a morbid sense of humor.

"Alright, lets get started for real." She said putting on a serious face. At least she tried, the dark haired god found that her stern look could not pass as being anything other than kittenish.

The interview went along smoothly and the trickster understood why Polk had been picked to do the preliminary interview, she was extremely easy to talk to. On top of that her knowledge of everything from biological engineering to the inner workings of the U.S. Military was well versed. If he hadn't studied the files Bruce, Tony, and Steve prepared inside and out, their ruse would have crumbled. It was almost as if they weren't in an interview, just two people talking catching up on past achievements. Her mastery in fluidity was that good. Loki couldn't help but appreciate her skill, he was after all the silver-tongued god.

At the close of their meeting, the young agent closed the file with finality and let out a sigh. "Well Mr. Sharp I think you're qualified to fill the position we have open. I just have to run your I.D. through the system to make sure you are who you say you are and we'll be good to pay the boss a visit." She said standing and leaving the room.

It was the god's turn to let out a sigh, luckily his false credentials would hold up in a computer database thanks to Stark. Undoing the cuff of his button down, Loki stroked the shackle on his wrist with his thumb. If worse came to worse he would have to take it off.

El shuffled back into the room, the trickster quickly re-buttoned the cuff of his shirt. "That was fast." He commented.

"It usually is. This way." She said gesturing him to follow.

_Here we go_, he thought as he passed through the doorway.

* * *

Steve and Tony stood outside of an apartment door. The engineer was rigid, while his counterpart was a little more relaxed. They had yet to knock, much to the confusion of the super soldier but he understood that he was not the one to make the first move. This was important to his billionaire friend, no matter how many jokes he cracked during the quick jet flight over.

After what seemed to be many moments later Steve finally reached out and placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder, jolting the latter out of his stupor. "We can't just stand here all day bud."

Tony nodded vigorously and took a deep breath. "I know." Reaching out he knocked twice on the wooden door.

It seemed like forever before the door opened. The man on the other side looked at them, expression changing from shock, to bewilderment, and then settling on complete disbelief.

"How did you guys find me?"

"Really? That's the first question you have. Um, well let's see, I'm a billionaire with the smartest artificial intelligence system out there. It wasn't exactly a multi dimension rubix cube, which are really hard to solve by the way."

"…Right. How did you know I was a live?"

"We were informed by a birdie of ours. How are you?"

"Good! Thank you for asking, sir."

"Please, call me Steve."

"Alright if everyone could stop fangirling for a second. Why are you in Maine?"

"It's where this hideout of mine is."

"Yeah but of all places, why Maine?"

"I like Maine."

"Really?"

"Yes Tony. What are you guys doing here?"

"I'm afraid we're relocating you."

"You're…"

"Yep that's right Agent. We're moving you out of this place. And don't try to give us the whole 'I have strict orders crap' we know S.H.E.I.L.D. doesn't know you're here and has presumed you dead."

"But why?"

"Because Loki that's why."

"…"

"That's right he's on Earth and he's also the birdie that told us about you. We're helping him out and we need you."

"I don't know…"

"Please, from a fellow Avenger to a fellow Avenger."

"Did you just…"

"Steve sure did. How's that for blowing your mind? Will you come?"

"Sure. What do you need of me?"

"For you to be his roommate."

Phil Coulson looked between the two men, mouth agape. What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

P.S. Bahaha! I really like cliff hangers. Anyways just so you know the character Eloise Polk is my very own OC, she is not in Marvel canon. Also YAY Coulson! I've been itching to write him in since the first chapter.


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